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Although a strategy, in theory, should help the organization to move in the same
direction by showing a direction for the organization, in practice the strategy
increases the number of possible paths, as managers translate the strategy into their
own context. This increases the number of strategies in the organization, and it
becomes difficult to get an overview of the interaction and relationships between the
translated strategies.
The managers distinguish between the different parts of the strategy, such as the
abstract words or intention, and the concrete as targets and projects. Managers use
the various parts of the strategy in different contexts, but still speak about "strategy"
even if they have changed dimension like the words and KPIs.
Another dimension is that the managers also perceive the strategy as correct, but
irrelevant, which is linked to their distinction between the abstract and the concrete in
the strategy. The abstract dimension is perceived as being true, while the effet of the
strategy may be irrelevant for certain managers.
The strategy is also used as documentation for senior management intentions. This
allows other players to gain insight into top management's thinking, take
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countermeasures, resist in an elegant way, or just prepare to argue his case within
the logic of the strategy.